Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest, Ninja News, and Are You A Depressed Writer?

Today is the Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest!

But before we dive into all the great new reads…

Ninja News

Today’s Special Challenge Participant Feature at the A to Z Blog is one of my very best friends on the Internet, the incredibly talented writer and artist – Rusty Webb! He posted a new illustration every day for the Challenge. Be sure to check out his awesome work and learn more about the man behind the insanity of an illustration a day…

Jeremy Bates is hosting the Halloween Hop Blogfest October 28-31. See his site for details and to sign up.

Kyra Lennon just revealed the cover for her next book, Blindsided!


Great news for Roland Yeomans! Second Avenue Second Hand Shop Anthology accepted his short story, PICTURE IMPERFECT and Open Doors 2 Anthology accepted his short story, THREE GOLDILOCKS AND A BEAR.

From Jeremy at Retro Zombie:

Howlin' Wolf Records & Jason Comerford present a 3rd season of 13 CHILLS: Commentary, PRIZES, and good ole October Mayhem. Leave a comment, read a little something interesting and win some prizes!

Lynn Rush’s new novel came out this week!

Violet Midnight, by Lynn Rush

New Adult Paranormal Romance

Let the Hunt begin…

Find it on Amazon Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads.


Congratulations, Lynn!

The Depressed Writer

Elise Fallson had an interesting post on Tuesday – “Writing: A Vocation of Unhappiness.” She asked “Do you think it's possible to become a good writer without enduring the bouts of internal turmoil and depression?”

I supposed authors are always portrayed as tortured souls, but are they all miserable? I won’t ever claim to be a really good writer, but I’ve enjoyed a pretty good life. I’ve always been even-keeled and right now I’m at peace with every aspect of my world. I don’t have high highs or low lows, so I’ve never sunk to the depths of depression. I’ll grumble through a first draft (as that’s my least favorite aspect) but nothing about my writing makes me miserable.

Am I the only one? Does that make me really odd? Or just really blessed? (Or is it a sign I really should pursue music instead? Wait, those people are supposed to be tortured as well. Crap.)

Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest!

Post about a book you’ve noticed. You can choose a book that you’ve read, something you saw on a blog or social media site, Goodreads, or a sales website. Anything that caught your eye because of a great cover, blurb or reviews, but DON’T tell the author that their book has been noticed. Instead, shout out on social media sites, and encourage others to do the same, until the author finds his/her book.

Leave a blog comment at Ninja Captain Alex’s BLOG or Ciara Knight’s BLOG when the author finds their book.

Only two rules:
1) You can’t post about your own book.
2) The book shouldn’t be on the New York Times or USA Today bestseller list.
This is your chance to shout out about a book that might not have been noticed by others.

Since I’m always checking Amazon rankings (especially Amazon UK, as both of my books have been bouncing around the top one hundred of science fiction for six months now) I decided to check out the books my readers have also purchased. That’s when I found this book:

Ep.#1 - "Aurora: CV-01" (The Frontiers Saga) by Ryk Brown

Description:

Episode 1

A world recovering from a devastating plague…
A brutal enemy threatening invasion…
A young man seeking to escape the shadow of his father…
A ship manned by a crew of fresh academy graduates…
A top-secret experimental propulsion system…
A questionable alliance with a mysterious green-eyed woman…

What destiny has in store for the crew of the UES Aurora, is far greater than any of them could ever imagine. And this is only the beginning…

All of the episodes have a four star rating and sound like great reads. The book can also be found at Amazon and Goodreads.

I noticed your book, Ryk! Now, will you notice that I noticed…?

Don’t forget to visit others participating in the blogfest:



Some great new books, news, and contests – anything strike your fancy? Are you a depressed or happy writer? (And if I’m the only happy writer then we need to throw a party or something!) Have you discovered any great books lately? Don’t forget – if the author notices that you posted about his book, leave a comment and let us know!

And don’t forget to visit Rusty at the A to Z Blog!

And come back on Friday for a very special HUGE party and celebration!

What is Blogging Success, Ninja News, Dredd Movie Review, Music Trivia Answers, and the Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest!

Today I have a guest post with the wonderful Karen Lange at Write Now. I answer the question – what is blogging success? Please visit Karen today for my take on success in the blogging world.

Ninja News

Christine Rains is holding a birthday bash and giveaway on October 5 – you don’t want to miss it.

Laura Barnes got an agent – congratulations, Laura! AND she got a request from a publisher that she was able to forward to her new agent. How cool is that/?

The Best of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, edited by Jessica Bell and Dawn Ius, is now available on Goodreads!

Jeremy at Retro-Zombie is nearing 1500 posts and 500 followers and he’s hosting a giveaway to celebrate! Visit Jeremy’s site for details.

EJ Wesley is celebrating the release of his book, Blood Fugue, with the Bury the Hatchet Blogfest. Lots of amazing prizes! Runs until October 19. Congratulations on the new book, EJ.

Laura Eno’s new book, Wish, comes out next month. If you would like to help with her book launch, see her site for details. Congratulations, Laura!

Movie Review

Dredd

Forget that awful Stallone version! This film matches the feel of the comic book – it’s gritty, dark, violent, and bloody.
Dredd takes on a rookie with psychic abilities and their first assignment finds them trapped in a massive housing unit and at the mercy of gang leader Ma-Ma. (And they managed to make the lovely Lena Headey look skanky and vile.)
The visuals are very unique – colorful, in depth, and with lots of slow motion action.
The director pulls no punches with the violence. You will witness people die in a truly unique manner.
This movie isn’t for everyone. But if you enjoy the comic Dredd or science fiction shoot-em-ups and great special effects, then Dredd is your film.

Music Trivia Answers

Remakes – name the song:
1 – In 1995 Dream Theater remade this song by Elton John – Love Lies Bleeding
2 – In 1998 Orgy remade this song by New Order – Blue Monday
3 – 2002 by Shadows Fall, 2012 by Arjen Lucassen, and 2007 by Queesnryche saw the remake of this Pink Floyd song – Welcome to the Machine
4 – In 1999 Coal Chamber remade this song by Peter Gabriel – Shock the Monkey
5 – In 1996 White Zombie remade this song by KC and the Sunshine Band – I’m Your Boogieman

Did I Notice Your Book?

The brain child of one awesome Ciara Knight! (With the Ninja along for the ride as co-host.) Based on her weekly feature that began last year. (And CassaStar was the first book!)

The Ninjas and Knights are joining forces!

Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest, October 17, 2012
Post about a book you’ve noticed.

You can choose a book that you’ve read, something you saw on a blog or social media site, Goodreads, or a sales website. Anything that caught your eye because of a great cover, blurb or reviews, but DON’T tell the author that their book has been noticed. Instead, shout out on social media sites, and encourage others to do the same, until the author finds his/her book.

Leave a blog comment at Ninja Captain Alex or Ciara Knight when the author finds their book.

Only two rules:
1) You can’t post about your own book.
2) The book shouldn’t be on the New York Times or USA Today bestseller list. This is your chance to shout out about a book that might not have been noticed by others.

Let’s blow up the blogsphere with great new reads!

Sign up below!



Excited about the contests and news? Anyone else see Dredd? Get any of the trivia right? (Kathleen got all of them!) And are you signing up for the awesome new blogfest?

Don’t forget to visit Karen for my take on blogging success!

Chopsocky with J.C. Martin, Ninja News, and Odd Questions of the Week

Thanks to everyone who posted for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group - all five thousand of you! Well, not that many, but by about the hundred and fiftieth blog on Wednesday, it felt like it. Appreciate all the support you guys showed one another.

Chopsocky!

J.C. Martin’s Oracle came out this week and she’d like to share a little Chopsocky with you!

5 Tips on Writing Actions Scenes: Lessons from Chopsocky

Chopsocky refers to martial arts films made in the 1960s and 1970s. You know, the ones with out-of-sync dubbing, exaggerated sound effects, and all-around cheesiness? Despite their cornball plots, there is no denying that these films can be pretty entertaining.
A writer can learn lots about writing action from watching a classic chopsocky:

1. Keep the action flowing
The choreography for some chopsocky is pretty impressive. When writing action, your sentences should flow as smoothly as the on-screen moves.
Action scenes are fast-paced, so don’t slow them down with flowery words. Simple and short sentences reflect urgency. Use active verbs, e.g. “Bruce punches Jackie,” rather than passive sentences like “Jackie is punched by Bruce.” (Bonus question: in which film did this happen?)

2. Spare the intricacies
The chopsocky hero is capable of amazing (and dubious) feats, but viewers are so engrossed in the action, they barely notice the physical implausibility of one kick knocking three people down.
Someone in a life-or-death situation has adrenaline surging through their veins. The result: increased heart rate, dry mouth, tunnel vision. They won’t notice the colour of the carpet. Their sole focus is survival, so leave out unnecessary details. They only slow the action down.

3. Cut small talk
Chopsocky is often guilty of this: the hero and villain engaged in a civil conversation in between bashing each other’s brains in. This doesn’t happen in real life. Use dialogue only in the preamble. Once the fight is on, dialogue should be restricted to shouts and grunts—and no, we don’t need the hero reciting a running commentary of every move he makes!

4. Avoid one-sided fights
Another sin of chopsocky: the hero takes down twenty goons without a scratch, then struggles against the big boss. Your hero isn’t invincible, and your baddies aren’t shambling idiots. To up the tension, ebb and flow is key.

5. Use layman’s terms
Just because you’ve done your research, or have first-hand martial arts knowledge, doesn’t mean you should bog your scene down with unfamiliar terms. Telling readers your heroine executes a well-timed Monkey Steals the Peach will likely receive blank stares—and yes, it’s a real Ninjitsu technique!

By all means, give a rough description of the moves, but trust your readers to fill in the scene with their rich imagination.

Are YOU a chopsocky fan? What else is important in creating a good action scene?

About the Author: J.C. Martin is a butt-kicking bookworm: when she isn’t reading or writing, she teaches martial arts and self-defence to adults and children.
Find JC: Website, Blog, Twitter, and Facebook.

Purchase Oracle: Amazon US Amazon UK Barnes and Noble

Ninja News!

Most of you know that Jeremy at Retro-Zombie is an artist. (He did the cool CassaFire banner above.) Now some of his artwork is available on t-shirts! Is that cool or what? Rock on, Jeremy!

Madeleine Maddocks at Scribble and Edit has a new book out – Ultimate Sacrifice. Congratulations, Madeleine!

Karen Elizabeth Brown has a new book out – Medieval Muse! Congratulations, Karen.

S.A. Larson has an agent! Congratulations, Sheri.

Laura Eno’s book, Demon in the Basement, is on sale right now for 99 cents!

James Garcia’s book, Dance on Fire, is available again after his publisher closed shop and free this weekend at Amazon.

You know Laura Bambrey is an author – but did you know her father is as well? Visit the Daily Dodo to learn more about his book, Atlantis Eternal.

I won an autographed copy of Michael Whelan’s book from Roland at Writing in the Crosshairs! Thanks, Roland – that is just too damn cool.

And at 11:45 last night, I typed the words THE END. The first draft of CassaStorm is complete. And I desperately need a nap because that was way past my bedtime...

Two Odd Questions

First, how long does it take you to compose a blog post? With all the links, it takes me about two hours. Oh, to be able to type faster!

Second, what is the weirdest group you’ve ever seen in concert? I think Primus wins it for me. Saw them open for another band on their Sailing the Seas of Cheese tour. They were good, but odd!

Whoa! So who is ready to Chopsocky? See some new books that interest you? How long does it take you to put together a post? And just what is the oddest band you’ve ever seen?

Diablo III, Ninja News, Guest Posts, and Movie Trivia

Diablo III

After three solid days of playing, I can now give you a review of Diablo III. If you dug Diablo II, you’ll probably dig Diablo III. If not, nothing about this game will change your mind. Picking up twenty years after Diablo’s death, the world of Sanctuary is under threat from a new hellish terror. Game play is fast and furious as usual. The one big change is you must be connected to the Internet while playing, even in single player mode. This is great, because your character goes with you everywhere. And not so great when the servers are down for maintenance (Happened twice to me already.) Doesn’t bring a lot new to the table, but if you like this style of gameplay, it doesn’t get any better than this!

Ninja News!

Purchase Jeremy Hawkins’ book, Retro-Zombie: Art & Words, (and do a review/post), and he will design an awesome banner, badge, or blog header for you. Many of you saw his awesome work during the A to Z Challenge, and above you can see the one he did for CassaFire. His work is top-notch, so visit his BLOG for details.

It’s almost time for my annual YOU ROCK! Awards. And I can tell you right now it’s going to be REALLY difficult narrowing it down to five bloggers…

This weekend – Battleship. My plan – leave brain at door and prepare for eye candy.

Guest Posts

I enjoy having guests on my blog and not just for book releases, either. My guidelines are listed HERE and I do stick close to them because I know what works on my blog. I want guests to get the full benefit just as much as I want my followers to enjoy the guest post.

And for those authors on a book tour, my personal goal is that you will get more comments here than at any other stop on your tour!

Billion Dollar Movie Quotes!

In honor of The Avengers joining the billion dollar movie club, here are quotes from movies that have also crossed over a billion dollars. Name the movie!

“The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming.”

“You know, I used to think it was benign neglect, but now I see that you are intentionally screwing me.”

“C'mon. Let's go see how much we're going for on eBay.”

“Certainty of death, *small* chance of success... What are we waiting for?”

“I may have had... briefly, mind you... stirrings.”

Are you playing Diablo III yet? (Or have you lost a loved one to this addictive game?) Want an awesome banner from Jeremy? Seeing Battleship? Know the movie quotes? And what’s your goal for guest posts?

Big Thanks, Ninja News, and a Movie Review

Big thanks to everyone who participated in the First Loves Blogfest! (And if you didn’t, you missed something epic.) I wasn’t sure when I selected the subject, but I was overwhelmed by the amount of participants for my sixth solo blogfest – one hundred, fifty-three. For those of you still visiting participants, all links on the list lead directly to the First Loves post. (Yes, I spent time adding the exact links to the list.) Thanks for making this the best blogfest yet!

And special thanks to Jeremy at Retro-Zombie, Jeremy at Geeky Tendencies, and Jamie at Mithril Wisdom - you guys visited most of the participants and I really appreciate that.

For my next blogfest… I have no idea at this point! But I guarantee it will be something fun.

NINJA NEWS

I have an interview today over at Jessica Salyer’s site, Just Following a Dream! Jessica is really awesome and she asked some deep questions that could change the course of the universe. Well, maybe not that deep! But it was fun and I hope you’ll pay her a visit.

Jessica Bell's new book, Fabric, came out this week – congratulations, Jessica! You are just so talented.

Roland Yeoman’s latest book, Best of Enemies, is also now available. You rock, Roland!

Lynda Young is one of six authors appearing in the anthology, Make Believe, which will be released this December. Way, to go Lynda! You are such a positive force and I’m really happy for you.

And yes, Diablo III is AWESOME!!!!

MOVIE REVIEW

The Adventures of Tintin
Finally caught this on NetFlix. The visuals are beyond stunning – not a hundred percent realistic, but getting much closer. The film also had a Raiders of the Lost Ark feel. However, there was something… ODD about this film. It was too serious for kids and yet had moments that were too silly for adults. The story just didn’t engage me _ I was almost bored. I am not familiar with the original comic though, so I’m sure core fans enjoyed it more. Just didn’t do it for me.

SPECIAL THANKS

Wanted to thank all of my awesome followers and blogger buddies who’s supported and followed me these past few months as I’ve floundered my way through another book release, the IWSG, the A to Z Challenge, my blogfest, and all the crazy features along the way. I’ve tried to do my best and know I sometimes fall short. This blog is now all about you guys and I want to keep it positive and fun. Whatever I can do to help my blogger buddies, you know I am there for you.

What did you think of the First Loves Blogfest? Excited about all the new books this week? Playing Diablo III right now? What did you think of Tintin? Am I doing all right? Don’t forget to visit Jessica Salyer!

INGENIOUS & INTROSPECTIVE - A to Z Challenge

It’s the third A to Z Challenge! Blog the letters of the alphabet in order every day except Sundays The participation list is HERE – start with the blog after yours and visit at least five blogs a day. Mostly, make new friends and have fun!

My theme – I have selected a word for each day and will present to you blogger buddies who fit that description, along with movies, music, etc. My theme is to give back, highlight some awesome bloggers, and have fun in the process.

INGENIOUS & INTROSPECTIVE

Suze at Analog Breakfast
This woman is a genius. Her posts are so thoughtful and intricate - a dance of words – and filled with several layers of meaning. You can’t breeze through her words or you’ll miss something vital. Suze touches upon the human equation in such a unique manner and it stays with you long after you’ve left her blog. And she adds depth to her words in her kind comments littered throughout the blogging world. Suze, you are a master!

Rekha at A Chronicle of Dreams
Rekha slipped quietly into my blogging radar one day and before the wisp of smoke vanished yet again, I followed her gentle footsteps. Her blog really is the place of dreams. She explores the world in such an introspective fashion, one can’t help but stop at marvel at the simple brilliance. Nothing she says is without purpose, so you need to pay attention. Rekha, thank you for your considerate words and actions!

Rodney McKay
Stargate Atlantis is one of my all time fav’s and Rodney McKay is such a great character. Brilliant and innovative married with smug and obnoxious and yet it’s balanced with such deftness (by character actor David Hewlitt) that he is truly likeable. Every time the team gets in trouble they call upon the ingenuity of one Rodney McKay.

Jane from the Mentalist
The character of Patrick Jane truly sums up ingenuity and introspection. His off-kilter approach to crime solving is a hoot to watch and his powers of deduction are right up there with Sherlock Holmes.

NINJA NEWS!

Jeremy Hawkins’ new book is available NOW – Retro Zombie: Art & Words! You can watch the YouTube Video or just visit Retro Zombie for more details on this cool book. Jeremy is the creator of some of the really amazing A to Z artwork and a creative writer. He’s also one of my very best friends online, so please take a moment to check out his book.

Jennifer Hillier revealed the cover for her new book, Freak. It looks awesome – congratulations, Jennifer!

And once the A to Z Challenge is over, everyone is invited to join in the Reflections Post on Monday, May 7 – share your thoughts on the Challenge!


Wow! Following Suze and Rekha? Fan of Stargate: Atlantis or The Mentalist? (My wife is in love with Rodney!) Friend of the Retro: Zombie or using one of his creations for the Challenge? And who in YOUR life is ingenious or introspective? Inquiring Ninjas want to know…

How to do a Successful Blog Tour. And John Carter! And Prize Package Winner!

Or maybe I should say how to survive a blog tour?

Thanks everyone for your encouraging comments last Friday regarding FandomFest2012 Yes, it will be a bummer that my name won’t be listed on the program for FandomFest, but my wife is more important. Next year!

And special thanks to Chuck at Apocalypse Now for his amazing review of CassaFire. You the man, Chuck!

Cate Masters’ new book, Dancing With the Devil, is now available – congratulations, Cate!

John Carter – review and author revelation

One word – awesome!
This movie more than lived up to expectations for me. It was epic in scope, with a story that remained fairly faithful to Princess of Mars and featured believable special effects. It was adventurous, moving, and at times really funny. And hey, for all the guys, the princess played by Lynn Collins will keep your attention – close to the Frazetta interpretation and easy on the eyes. Shame it won’t do well in theaters as I would’ve enjoyed another John Carter movie.

And something dawned on me while watching the film. Several reviews of my books have stated they hearken back to the Golden Age of science fiction and adventure. While watching John Carter, I finally caught the connection – the innocent adventure portrayed in this type of story mirrored what I tried to capture in my own books. Now I am eager both to devour more stories like John Carter and to dive back into my third book. Not that I’ll create anything as classic or epic as what Burroughs wrote – but now I understand my voice and style. And I’m excited!

So, go see John Carter and enjoy the adventure!

CassaFire’s blog tour – what worked and what didn’t

Another heartfelt thank you to all of my hosts and everyone who posted for the Catch Fire Blog Party. The last two weeks were the most humbling I’ve ever experienced.

First let me tackle the Catch Fire Blog Party. WOW. I visited over two hundred and fifty blogs on February 28 and still missed a few I’m sure. It was overwhelming to see that banner featured everywhere. Will I ever do something like that again? Probably not. I spent over ten hours that day trying to visit every person who posted. And while it was cool to see my book cover everywhere, and many commented they were touched by the support for my book, I think it was too much. I’ll either spread it out or just let people post on their own next time.

Now for the tour itself. My hosts were awesome! Each guest spot was unique. My goal was for my post to generate more comments than normal for my hosts, and many of you visited every post – thank you for that! And the best hosts interacted with the comments, which was cool. There were ten official stops – next time, I might only do five. I don’t want to wear out my followers and I admit I was beat when it ended. Again, thanks to everyone who tagged along for the ride.

And I will need to make plans for a third tour, because this week I launch back into working on the third book, CassaStorm. After seeing John Carter, I am stoked!!!!

Now, for those of you still holding your breath, the winner of the awesome prize package is…

After random numbers generated for tour day and then comment…

Jeremy at Retro Zombie is the big winner!!! Congratulations, dude. And thanks for following my book tour.

Anyone else see John Carter? Share your thoughts on my blog tour? (I’m open to suggestions!) Think “Golden Age” is a good description of my books? Think I should write just one more book? Or are you just mad you didn’t get the CassaFire coffee cup?

And I will still be visiting blogs, but taking a break on posting Wednesday. Awesome guest on Friday though!!!!

The Final Countdown...

And no, I don’t mean that crappy 80’s song by Europe! The 80’s science fiction movie would be all right though.
Actually, it’s more like the countdown to Alex’s meltdown…

But I have a really cool surprise for you guys!!!

First, thanks to everyone who visited Ray Gun Revival for my interview this week. It didn’t go up until almost noon, so check it out if you missed it. Many thanks to author Bryan Thomas Schmidt for interviewing me and reviewing CassaFire!

Next, HUGE thanks to Jeremy at Retro-Zombie for the cool CassaFire banners! One at the top and there’s another at the bottom of my blog. If you need any stylish artwork, Jeremy is your dude. You can also win a Zombie Pencil Holder from Jeremy! Visit his SITE for details.

Lee has put out the call – a thousand participants signed up for the A to Z Challenge by March 1! If you haven’t signed up yet, you do NOT want to miss the biggest blog event of the year. Details and sign up HERE

Don’t forget February 28 is the Catch Fire! Blog Party! I sent out information earlier this week, so if you signed up but didn’t receive an email, let me know. There’s still time to sign up for a chance to win one of five copies of CassaFire:

Now, the surprise!

Next week kicks off my two-week/ten stops blog tour for CassaFire. I have some awesome guest stops planned, some with giveaways as well. But the party won’t go dark here! During those ten days, in addition to telling you where to find the Ninja that day, there will be:

Daily Ninja News
Pop Culture Trivia
Random Ninja Facts

And…

For everyone who comments here during my two-week tour, you will be entered to win this cool prize package from my publisher:

Is that not awesome? I want a CassaFire tote bag and mug! Not that I drink coffee. Or tea. But I do like hot chocolate.

So there you have it! Ready for two weeks of Ninja partying? Ready to test your pop culture knowledge? Ready to place bets as to whether I sleep or not next week? Ready to watch the meltdown…? (Cleanup on aisle three!) 

*And as a side note, I'm sick! I get sick once every five years and today I came home feeling like crap. Was supposed to do a book festival on Saturday, but doubt that will happen now. Better feel goo by Tuesday!